The Three R's
by lunateix
Summary: Sequel to Lost in Time, Found By War. Bass and Roll have a new adventure ahead of themselves with faces new and old, but through it all, three things burn in Bass: Revelation, Revenge, and Redemption.
1. Chapter 1

Some Author's Notes: Welcome to The Three R's! Yes, I know it's been a long while since I updated anything. Yeah, I said at the end of Lost in Time, Found by War, that I was going to be playing Super Robot Taisen R. This lead to playing Taisen D, then Taisen A, and now I'm on Taisen J. Still, I finally had the urge to write again. Other than that, a few other delays, some family things really. The grandmother passed recently and of course that takes precedent over anything else. Still, here's the first chapter to sequel one.

Yeah, I said sequel one. There are two simultaneous sequels. One, this one, prominently features Bass and Roll in their adventure. The other is heavy on Zero and Axl, though more Axl. They'll be updated roughly about the same time, I figure. Honestly, as I was planning the sequel in just became so convoluted that a second sequel had to be made to make things flow smoothly.

All this being said, please enjoy my first chapter of The Three R's. Revelation, Revenge, Redemption.

Pesky Disclaimer: I don't own any Megaman related character, that's all Capcom.

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Space is silent and beautiful, an ocean of black seas with stars littered about, glittering like forbidden pearls. One of those forbidden pearls lead to a meager world with no particular interest, Earth. Visitors had come and gone, quickly deeming the planet either uninteresting or its people too vicious. Regardless, now, nothing came to the planet but the occasional meteor, so why was someone headed there now?

Traveling for so long, he was nearing his destination.

The being was clad in a purple aura that was pulling him to this planet. Behind that aura was a tall, lean android, sporting a predominantly black paint scheme with red lining. Sharp, arched golden wings shot from his back. A single, blood-red gem sat in his chest, glowing fiercely along with the one on his head. His knees were reverse-jointed, leading down to pointed feet.

Traveling for so long, he was nearing his destination.

He had felt it, his own, familiar power flare up suddenly after two-hundred years of silence, and on this mudball of a planet, no less. It was amusing to him, in the beginning, he had dreaded the visit, it had weakened him so, but lately, he had felt it, a power almost as great as his own, perhaps greater if the user knew what he was doing. It was then that he had made his decision, he would claim what was rightfully his, once more.

Senses ever keen, he swerved to the side as a bright, blue comet whizzed by him and he stopped, crossing his arms as the aura grew in intensity. "Well, here's someone I haven't seen in a couple centuries. Aww, did you miss me so much that you came to visit, Duo?"

(Author's Midnote: I'm PERFECTLY AWARE that sound does not travel through the vacuum of space and all those movies with sound effects are to keep it interesting. How they're talking right now, I don't know, imagine a telepathic link or binary beaming, go with it.)

The comet broke away into a bright, blue aura as a well armored, mostly blue and gray robot appeared. He was extremely well-built, baring a fist that looked like it could strike the heavens themselves. "Shinn, what are you doing near Earth, again?"

The android merely shrugged as he said, "I felt like going for an intergalactic stroll and it just happened to be along the way, why?" "I won't let you interfere with that planet! It's forbidden!" Shinn laughed a little as he crossed his arms, saying, "Oh Duo, rules are meant to be broken. Besides, we broke that rule before, you should remember it." Duo looked away as he replied, "That was an accident…and many innocent lives were lost because of it."

"Innocent? Haha, Duo, you're too rich," Shinn said as he tried to contain his laughter. "Duo, Duo, Duo, none of these stupid lifeforms are innocent, you should know that by now. Always stealing and killing, ready to stab their best friend in the back just so they can get their grubby little paws on something shiny. They don't deserve pity or protection, they deserve extermination…but, I'm not here to do that, not today, anyways."

Duo shook his head as he asked, "What ARE you doing here?" "Oh, nothing much, just looking to reclaim something of mine. You should remember it, us crashing on that miserable mudball. Well I lost something very precious to me, all thanks to one mad scientist." Duo nodded, "Your power source." "Yes, all my power split up and used in half-rate robots that lost to a pathetic blue twerp with no augments of his own. I could barely escape and all I could do was wait, wait until I had enough of my strength back. Oh it took forever, though I suppose it could have gone faster if you hadn't destroyed every ounce of my power on that planet…all but one."

"I…missed one? That's impossible!" Duo exclaimed, but Shinn smoothly replied, "It's true, so very true. I had thought about collecting it, add it back to myself, but it vanished two centuries ago and I figured you'd gotten ahold of it and snuffed it out. Imagine my surprise when I felt it recently. It was calling to me, pulling at me, but I ignored it until I felt something. There's a magnificent will behind it and under that will's influence, the power has grown. Imagine, someone on that miserable rock with our potential, it's maddening and refreshing at the same time! It was then that I made my decision. I wouldn't just claim my powers, I'd claim the will behind it."

Duo scoffed, "And what makes you think anyone on Earth would want to come with you?" "Simple, Duo. It takes a will with a lust for power to be able to control it so well. I think the promise of greater power is enough for any Earthling." Shinn opened his arms wide and asked, "So, what do you think?"

Silence prevailed before Duo finally answered, "I think I've heard enough." "Really?" Shinn asked, amused. Duo's fist began to glow with tremendous power as he replied, "Yeah, and I think it's time to destroy you once and for all!"

Duo charged, thrusting his powerful fist forward, but in the ever-free void of space, Shinn dodged it easily and retaliated with a burst of purple energy from his hand that hit Duo square in his back. Only registering a moment of pain, Duo quickly smashed his fist into Shinn's side and the black android sprawled in pain.

Both began to glow. With terrific speed, they rammed into each other as giant orbs of power. Again and again, they clashed in the inky darkness of space. Each collision sent ripples through space, growing in intensity as the two ricocheted off each other. Soon, they backed away from each other.

Shinn commented, "I think you're actually trying to kill me." Panels on Duo's shoulders opened and revealed mini-rockets that quickly fired, speeding for Shinn, who sped towards the Earth, barreling out of the way of exploding rockets before craning his neck to Duo and firing a massive flash of energy from the gem on his head.

Duo easily dodged the burst of energy, but was puzzled. In the vastness of space, such an attack towards a speedy target was completely unsound. "You're losing your edge, Shinn," Duo replied smugly as he chased after his opponent.

Still headed for Earth, Shinn lazily turned around and feigned a yawn as he said, "I think my edge is as sharp as ever." He pointed nonchalantly behind Duo, who's face expressed terror at what he had missed.

Meteors, loads of them.

Shinn's attack wasn't meant for him. Instead, it streamed passed him and impacted in the Asteroid Belt. The blast had enough concussive force to knock numerous rocks from their gentle orbit around the sun and send them careening in all directions. Some would hurtle off, never to be seen again, some would be snatched into the orbit of larger bodies in the Solar System, but some would get yanked straight into planets, Earth included.

"So, what'll you do, eh Duo? Gonna chase me down, or do you feel like playing the big protector?" Duo was conflicted. Deep down, he cursed how well Shinn knew him. As he turned around and sped toward the approaching rocks, he called back, "This isn't over!"

As the blue ball called Earth grew ever-larger in Shinn's sight, he thought to himself, _"Not over by a longshot, my friend. It's just beginning."_

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Earth is a pile of desolate rubble, scorched by countless wars. Only a few places are naturally suited for human habitation. Those were not enough. Neo Arcadia was built to house the few humans that were left that couldn't be supported in these natural habitats. The city was ruled by Megaman X, the true, blue original. X had decreed an alliance with the Resistance and the Resistance Base had been renamed Ciel City.

Ciel City, the former Resistance, was originally led by the brilliant researcher, Ciel. However, the pressure of command combined with her research had been too much and she bequeathed command to Protoman. Protoman was an intelligent leader who constantly put his soldiers through drills so efficient that X put some of his most trusted soldier through Protoman's drills, Axl included. Ever since the uprising of Weil and the defeat of X's four guardians, Protoman's drills were twice as hard; he'd have his men ready for any situation Weil had waiting for them.

But the story doesn't continue in Neo Arcadia or Ciel City. It begins in the most unlikely place for life to begin anew. Long had it sat on the planet's surface, crumbling, decayed, and forgotten. Now, it was the only place where nature actually flourished.

Sunk a hundred years ago from the milky depths of space, the space colony Eurasia had inadvertently restored life to a small patch of ground. As unlikely as it may be, it could have been due to the influence of the Maverick Virus that filled every iota of its titanic presence that allowed its life support systems to spawn nature in this desolate waste of a world.

However, no matter why it was there, it WAS there, and it represented a new start for many that sought relief from constant conflict. Little by little, humans migrated to this point, calling it Area Zero, a location that was staunchly against the concept of reploids, lest they jeopardize their peace, but the feeling wasn't unique. After all, the thought of how the reploids were easily turned on humanity burned in the skull of every human.

These brave humans struck out on their own, traveling in caravans to reach their destination, a thing to which X, leader of Neo Arcadia, did not fight against. After all, he couldn't order them to stay under a martial law, not while trying to improve the look of reploids in the world. Unfortunately, X couldn't divert any forces to _HELP _the humans, either, and as a result, many met their ends thanks to the ambush tactics of Weil's new forces, advanced reproductions of old Wily designs.

Now, several vans barrel across the desert, their destination coming ever nearer, but that is no sign of relief, but one of tension. Attack could come from any direction, and until they reach Area Zero, this band of humans could easily be wiped out.

"Not much longer, eh?"

"Yeah, soon we'll be in Area Zero and we won't have to worry about all this conflict."

"Hey, Neige?"

"Yes Kraft?"

"Do you think me coming along is acceptable? This IS an anti-reploid colony, after all."

"Kraft, they have to accept you. If you leave, I leave, that's the way it's going to be."

"Heh, thanks Neige."

The lead van held the least occupants, only two, but the most supplies. Leading the caravan was a woman of determination with shining blue eyes and short red hair named Neige. Formerly a reporter in Neo Arcadia, she was ready for her new life with her acquaintance, Kraft, a powerful combat reploid that once served under the regime of Neo Arcadia.

"Hmm?" Kraft muttered as he straightened his position on the driver's side and noticed a set of headlights in the rearview. "What is it?" Asked Neige. A distinctive hum of motorcycle engines was heard and Kraft muttered, "Nothing but trouble."

Soon, after a heart-stopping boom, a van in the rear's tire burst from under it, causing the vehicle to swivel out of control. "Damn it," Kraft shouted, "We were so close! Neige," Kraft began to shift out of his seat as Neige instinctively grabbed the wheel. "Kraft, what are you doing!?" She shouted as he left his seat and she quickly eased in. "Buying us some time," Kraft replied as he entered the back of the van. "You know what to do."

Neige nodded as she grabbed hold of her radio. "This is Neige, proceed to Area Zero, we'll try and hold off the ambush." After acknowledgements were received, Neige broke formation with her van and eased to the back. Now she could see them, thin and green, built with a mono-eye system, riding two to a motorcycle, aiming their busters. "So," Neige said to herself, "These are Sniper Joes, huh? They don't look like much."

As Kraft hoisted a large assault rifle and fed it the belt clip, he replied, "Looks can be deceiving, don't forget that." She nodded as he kicked the back of the van open and shouted, "Have some of this!" He let bullets fly, tearing into the approaching forces, losing his balance as Neige hit a dune and his rifle accidentally hit the floor, sending a few shells ricocheting about. "Watch it!" He barked back to Neige, to apologized as she steadied the wheel. Kraft sighed as he held on to the top of the van and began to fire again, but this time not soon enough as a Sniper Joe leapt from his seat behind the cyclist driver and tackled Kraft.

"Not quite!" Kraft shouted as he slammed his fist into the poor robot, sending it sprawling back and into the sands of the desert, swept up and away by its attacking brethren.

"Eek!" Neige shouted as buster fire hailed in from the side window and Kraft realized in the short time he was occupied, they had caught up to the side of the van and were attacking. "Tch, too damn many of them," Kraft replied as he hoisted himself to the top of the van and shot down the ones closest before realizing they were climbing the sides of the van as well.

The van shook violently from enemy fire and Kraft lost his footing, dropping the rifle into the sands below and he cursed fervently as the climbing Sniper Joes reached him and began to attack. Acting on instinct, he revealed a combat knife from his side and cut into the first one, spinning it around and using it as a shield as he forced its buster to fire at others.

"My god, they're everywhere!" a panicked Niege shouted as Kraft flung another Sniper away. Looking over the horizon, Kraft saw the sands littered with more enemies heading their way and the realization that he couldn't beat all of them sunk in. "Neige, I…I want you to know that I…" "Yeah," she said back, "Me too."

An explosion rocked the background as an engine roared to furious life, much louder than the other engines. "What the heck?" Kraft uttered as a new cycle came into view. Kraft squinted at its extremely canine shape as it weaved around hordes of enemies before riding side-by-side with the van, showing two occupants, the driver with his eyes shielded by a visor, the occupant wearing a helmet.

"This is where you get off," A male voice driving the cycle said as he hoisted the lighter female up and onto the side of the van. She easily made her way through the door and sat next to Neige before letting loose a sigh. "Hey, saw you needed a little help," she began, "My name's Roll." She pulled off her helmet, revealing her short, blonde hair with its single black stripe and smiled brightly at Neige.

"H-hi," Neige nervously uttered before asking, "And…who's that?" The driver of the cycle retracted the visor, revealing his red eyes and the purple scars that ran down from his face. His purple scarf whipped violently in the wind and Roll declared, "That's Bass," she then deepened her voice, and openly mocked, "_The most powerful Robot Master…EVER._" She fought the urge to laugh and Neige stared blankly at her. "How can you…joke at a time like this?" Roll merely shrugged as she replied, "You just don't know my Bass."

Outside, Bass looked to Kraft and shouted, "Catch!" He tossed Kraft's previously lost assault rifle back into his hands and as he pivoted the cycle, in reality, his companion, Treble, he urged Kraft, "Have fun, just try not to shoot me." "Who are you?" Kraft replied, confused. "I'm helping," Bass quickly shot back, "Does it matter right now?"

Bass sped into the enemy before Kraft could reply and he began his attack once more on incoming enemies, keeping a single lock on Bass so as not to target and attack him by accident and he watched in amazement as his assistance plowed its way through the enemy, going so far as to laugh maniacally as he reduced the enemy to scrap.

"_Who is this guy?_" Kraft eagerly thought as he realized his ammo was dangerously low. He banged a few times on the rooftop and shouted, "Neige, I need ammo!" "Hold on, Kraft," she told him, but Roll eased up and said, "I've got this," and quickly offered a new belt clip to Kraft, who was leaning down, waiting for his ammo. "Who the heck are you?" Kraft asked. "I'm Roll, that's Bass. We're helping, unless you'd like us to leave."

"That's Bass?" Kraft skeptically replied through a new explosion and he quickly added, "That's BASS!? _THE _Bass?" "Unless there's a few more Bass's we don't know about," Roll chided before waving her hand saying, "Go on, you have your ammo, get to it." "Uh…y-yeah, thanks," Kraft replied as he went back to the fray.

Soon, the enemy began to back away as a single cycle sped towards Bass and the others. The driver was a blonde female of dark skin, clad in skintight black mesh. Her hand glowed with energy before a blade streaked out of it and slashed at Bass, who pivoted and avoided the blow before pulling a wheelie and turning on his axis, returning fire that she slashed out of the sky.

"You're good," Bass remarked as he sped in and locked hands with her, both cycles spinning with no true direction before they broke away. "I better be," she replied coolly as she fired from her own buster, taking Bass by surprise as he stabled himself. "You'd think SWN-003 would be superior to either design."

"What!?" Bass barked as he fired a charged shot from his buster to which she easily avoided. "That's right, Big Brother," she replied, "Serenade is the last true great creation of Dr. Wily!" She leapt from her cycle and tackled Bass off of Treble, who immediately reverted back to his original wolf-like form and in response, her cycle reverted to a large wildcat which roared at Treble, who growled in response. The two dashed and tackled each other, rolling around and pawing at each other, grazing through the other's armor.

"Mezzo!" Serenade shouted, "Don't let it get away! Rip it to shreds!" "Unlikely," Bass replied as he slid into position and fired his buster at his 'sister'. "So," He began, "Want to explain yourself?" "What's to explain," she harshly shot back as she dashed with her blade and missed Bass, who swept out her feet with a roundhouse kick and missed a crushing blow to her abdomen as she rolled out of the way, spinning upwards as she steadied herself and slashing into his face. "You're SWN-001. Zero is SWN-002. I'm SWN-003. We're related, I'm the later model."

(Author's Midnote: Technically, Zero's ID is SWN-∞, but it works better to put him as 002 in this case)

"Heh," Bass scoffed as he thrust his palm to her chin, knocking her off-balance momentarily before she replied by flipping up and slamming her foot above his head in a dazzling display of acrobatics. "Let me guess," Bass said as he deftly dodged a fist from Serenade, grabbed it, and use the momentum to knee her in the stomach, "Weil's still poking around Wily Castle and found mothballed projects like you laying around, huh?"

Her brow furrowed under the insult of being called mothballed and she quickly thrust her blade through his shoulder. "Hit a nerve, did I?" He mocked before fighting the urge to wince in pain. "Shut up!" Serenade shouted, "I'm greater than you or Zero and I'll prove it!" Bass forced the blade out of him and replied, "As long as you listen to some crazy mad scientist, rather than yourself, you'll never be as good as either of us. You can't beat Zero and you certainly can't beat me."

She screamed in anger, hair standing on end as she dashed for Bass with blinding speed, but as he spun out of harms way on his heel, her advance was greeted with a powerful blow to the back of her head, courtesy of a charged plasma shot. "Look at you," Bass scoffed as he folded his arms to the female on the ground. He raised his head indignantly as he cast his harsh gaze on her out of the corner of his eyes. "You don't even know how to fight. What, has Weil got you training on AI programs all day? Pathetic."

"I'll show you! I'll show you just how powerful I am!" Serenade shouted as she gathered energy into an orb and flung it at Bass, who quickly swatted the offending energy away before realizing his hand had gone limp. "What do you know, so you're not all talk," Bass declared before rushing her, sliding under, and leveling his foot to her chin, sending her into the sky and back down to his waiting charged buster. She spun out of the way of the blast and elbowed him in the stomach, making him stumble back as she thrust her blade again, missing, hitting the soft sand.

Bass made his move and slammed the heel of his foot into the blade with such force that it bend and snapped under the force and she screamed in return. "DAMN YOU! I'LL…I'LL-" A beep in her helmet caught her attention. "Yes? Pull back!? But I can beat him! I don't need to—ah yes…understood. My…apologies."

She steadied herself, dusting of lightly as she looked harshly to Bass. "This isn't over. Next time, nothing's going to save you. Mezzo!" She looked to her wildcat and gasped at the amount of damage it had incurred. "Even you?! We're out of here!" The two were caught in golden light and vanished.

"You okay, boy?" Bass asked Treble, now walking beside him. A healthy bark from his companion let him know all he needed and he chuckled a little before looking to the night sky. "Serenade and Mezzo, more competition for our title, huh boy? Doesn't matter, we're still more powerful than them, Zero, or any other. Weil, remember that."

Bass gazed intently at a star in the sky burning brighter than any other, almost like it was headed for the planet. It glowed a fierce purple and soon, he felt his aura rising from his body. "The hell?" he asked himself as he forced it down. Looking again, the star was gone. "Weird," he muttered to himself as he turned to Treble, "Let's go find Roll, I bet she's worried sick."

Treble barked in acknowledgement and transformed into the cycle once more and they sped off in the direction of the van's tracks. "_Weil,_" Bass thought, "_It doesn't matter how big your army is, how much power you gain. You can't beat me, you won't beat me._"

Unbeknownst to the Robot Master, figures were watching him intently.

"So, someone activated Serenade, eh?"

"For as strong as she is, she sure lost to Bass pretty quick."

"A testament to how well-built Bass is."

"Think he'll be a threat?"

"Time will tell. Let's see if we can avoid a confrontation for now. Bass is way too powerful for that right now."

"Yeah, let's get the report back to Enker."

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Ending Notes: Well how was that? This is actually the second version of this story. The other started with Bass and Roll settled and it didn't have the right feel to it. I wanted them to seem like they'd been wandering. As you can see, Roll has shorter hair than in the last story and the black streak she got in her hair from being possessed by the Dark Elf is still there.

You also see Duo and Shinn, characters from the beginning of Megaman 8. Technically, Shinn had no name, he might not have even been a real robot, just a manifestation of dark energies, but I made him a robot for plot purposes. Both have upgraded designs from their original appearances to keep in touch with the later times.

You also met Serenade and Mezzo. Serenade originates from the Battle Networks alternate universe. I went with the idea that Wily never stopped trying to improve on designs, even while in the manufacturing of Zero. Like most main characters from the original Megaman games, Serenade's name has a link to music. Mezzo, her wildcat, is short for Mezzo-soprano, also linked to music. As Bass pointed out, despite her power, she has no real combat experience aside from training programs and as of right now, can't measure up to her battle-hardened brother, but all things change with time.

You also saw a few shadowy figures at the end, I bet some of you have a guess who they are, but regardless, read on to find out who they are and what role they play!

I'm open for comments, suggestions, reviews, etc, etc, drop me an email or something, I dunno, but I'll reply back. Look for the sister sequel to come out relatively soon, hopefully today if all things go well, if not, then definitely in this week.

Until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Some Author's Notes: Hoo boy! It's been AGES since I've updated. What have I been doing, you ask? Between two jobs and dealing with handling all my grandmother's business now that she's passed on, I've had no time as all my free time was forced into playing Super Robot Wars W for the DS. I know, I know, terrible reason, but I'll be ranting on that game later. Once again, the story takes elements from Megaman AND Super Robot Wars, by SRW, I practically mean every mecha anime I can think of. Enough of me talking, there are ending notes for that.

Pesky Disclaimer: I don't own any Megaman related character, that's all Capcom.

Pesky Disclaimer: I don't own any SRW related character, that's all Banpresto.

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Alone, only his thoughts and his companion, Bass rode alone in the desert, Treble his mode of transportation in the form of a motorcycle. It looked like things were picking up again, and he was fine with that. He'd spent months training, perfecting his skills to their utmost peak, though he had to admit, he'd pushed himself to the limit. Still, maybe a few things were happening a little too fast. After all, he'd already been thrust into a new situation, not that he complained about dealing a blow to Weil.

Regardless, something didn't feel right; he'd left Roll alone too long. With the introduction of his 'sister', Serenade, he had to tread carefully. Then there was one other thing that bothered him: that purple star in the sky that tapped into his aura. One moment it was there, the next, it wasn't. Would it eventually spell trouble? More than likely.

"**Where are you?**"

"What?"

Bass shook his head, trying to figure out where the voice that just rang through his head came from, but there was no one around. He sighed, "Stress must be getting to me."

"**Don't resist me.**"

That voice again, more clearer this time, like it was coming from inside his own thoughts.

"**Come to me!**"

This time, Bass saw a glowing, purple figure in his path, and on instinct, Bass swerved out of the way, throwing himself off his vehicle and grinding into the sand below. As he shot back up, he looked behind himself, but no one was there.

Treble quickly changed back into his canine form and approached his owner, eager to know what happened. "Don't worry about it," Bass told him as he dusted off his armor. "Just an accident," he said as Treble once more became the cycle. As he mounted his companion and sped off for Area Zero and Roll, he once again told himself, "Just an accident."

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Barreling through endless desert, a single van plowed through sand dunes. Once a simple utility vehicle, it had been put through its paces, no longer resembling its former make. Parts had been stripped and replaced to accommodate its increased housing, which spanned a whopping three levels, filled to the brim with equipment for support and surveillance. Its teal exterior had been fitted with heavy armor plating. Its top sported numerous antennae and satellite dishes. Even the windows were reinforced for heavy impact. More a carrier now than a van, this was Gallant Guard, a mobile base of operation for independent units operating outside of Ciel City. To add to its importance, it was also personally commanded by Ciel herself.

The girl in question sat in the lower level, placed so she could watch her driver and the road, but she was free to swivel the chair and watch other posts in the vehicle. From complex scanners to sensitive communications equipment, Ciel was confident in her vehicle and its personnel, so why did she have a bad feeling in the depths of her stomach?

"We'll approach Area Zero in less than thirty minutes, Ma'am."

"Huh?" Ciel suddenly asked, jarred from her thoughts.

The person speaking to her had worked at her side for years, her blonde-haired operator, Jaune. "I said we'll be approaching Area Zero in less than half an hour." "Oh," Ciel calmly said, "Good."

Quietly, Jaune turned from her console, a mix of scanners, communications arrays, and diagnostic readings, and she asked, "Is there something the matter?" "Oh," Ciel replied, "Well, it's just…" "You're worried about what happened to Zero, aren't you?" Jaune finished the sentence.

Ciel sighed a little as she looked down and asked, "Is it that obvious?" Jaune smiled as she said, "It's practically written all over your face." Ciel sighed as Jaune added, "Look, Zero wouldn't want you acting all depressed. A lot has happened lately and he'd want you to keep on going, no matter what. Besides, you're in charge here. Everyone's looking to you for strength. Plus," she said with a smile, "You'll need your wits about you when Protoman chews you out for disobeying orders."

Ciel chuckled as she nodded, "Yes, well this _IS _the biggest attack effort Weil's invested in with Area Zero; a lot of people are going to be hurt if we don't do anything. Thanks Jaune, for what you said. You're always there when I need you." Jaune nodded and turned back to her post, leaving a faint smile on Ciel's face. The concept nearly made her giggle, but she forced it down. However, the girl wasn't as successful with the flush of color that had come to her cheeks. She only prayed no one noticed, but she was also wondering just how many years she'd actually worked with Ciel, how much they had gotten to know each other as time went by, and maybe, just maybe if—

"Did that just come out of nowhere?" She asked herself.

Gallant Guard lurched to a complete stop with enough force to throw everyone from their seats. As everyone scrambled to their feet, the driver yelled, " HOLD ON!" Before Ciel could inquire as to what was happening, the entire vehicle shook with a terrible force before the front end began to lift off the ground and with a terrible scream of strained metal, flipped over on its side. After a few moments of silence, Ciel groaned as she got up, feeling awkward standing on what was once Gallant Guard's side. "Is everyone okay?" she asked, eventually getting murmurs from everyone. "Jaune, what happened?"

The blonde operator shook her head as she said, "Something just came out of nowhere, we must have impacted it. I mean it literally came out of nowhere!" "Teleportation maybe?" Ciel inquired as a soldier approached, still clad in the colors of the old Resistance. "Ma'am," he started, "A quick check reports no injur-AUGH!"

Caught in mid-sentence, a large arm burst through the weaker armor of the underside, now accessible through the side, and gripped the soldier, pulling him straight out through the ripped hole.

"Oh…my…" Jaune managed to force out from the sight, followed by the painful screams that echoed through the vehicle. Ciel turned to her. She was shaking uncontrollably while numerous soldiers scrambled to the back of the vehicle and out the emergency doors. As machinegun fire, grunts, and screams filled the air, Ciel approached Jaune and shook her gently. "Snap out of it, Jaune! I need you focused!" "Fo-focused…" Jaune slowly said as Ciel shook her again, saying, "Look at me. Look at me. I know it's scary, but you're not alone. Come on," Ciel smiled as she said, "Everything will be okay."

Jaune seemed to calm down considerably, but practically jumped as something impacted the side with a dull 'thud'. Quickly, Ciel led the operator out the back of the vehicle and they pressed against it under the much louder noises outside the vehicle. "What is it?" Ciel hissed to herself as she craned her neck around the van and gasped.

Her men were practically being slaughtered by a behemoth. Ten feet tall with arms as thick as tree trunks, he bellowed as he brought an armored, red hand to a soldier and sent the man flying. Machinegun fire harmlessly bounced off his thick armor as he sent an earth-shaking stomp with his powerful legs that knocked everyone off balance. The giant loomed over his opponents and let loose a hearty laugh as he reached down and swatted more soldiers away.

Seeing enough, Ciel got to her feet and shouted, "That's enough!" The armored giant stopped and looked at her, curiously as he stomped towards her, each step shifting the sand beneath her, but she struggled to stay on her feet. Leering over her, it was David and Goliath once again as his voice boomed, "**WHO DARES STAND BEFORE GUTSMAN KAI!?**"

Fear and tension becoming her companions, Ciel shrunk back at the figure. His red gauntlets and greaves going against the yellow of his thick arms and legs. This combined with the black, heavily armored body and the large, blocky head and gave a surprisingly imposing demeanor. Bravery suddenly gone, she whimpered under his berth. "**SPEAK UP, HUMAN! I CANNOT HEAR YOUR VOICE UNDER THE SHAKING OF YOUR KNEES!**"

She steadied herself. What Jaune had said earlier was right, she was a source of strength for her crew, and she couldn't back down now. "My name is Ciel. I am the commander of the autonomous Gallant Guard unit." Gutsman Kai's posture seemed to change at the remark before he announced, "**THEN YOU'RE COMING WITH ME! DOCTOR WEIL WILL BE PLEASED! YOU'RE A VALUABLE LITTLE PRIZE!**"

As he reached for her, she stiffened, unable to move until the sound of a single bullet caught her attention. "Get away from her!" Jaune had acquired the rifle of a fallen soldier and was attempting to protect her. She'd only fired a single round and lost her balance with the recoil. She hefted the rifle once more and took aim, her hands trembling before she began to fire again, doing nothing to impact her opponent's armor. Gutsman Kai growled as he said, "**I HATE INSECTS…**" He then began to slowly lumber towards Jaune, but Ciel found her courage once more and stepped in-between them. "Leave her alone! It's me you want!" she shouted, but Gutsman Kai swatted her aside.

"**I'LL GRAB YOU IN A MINUTE! FIRST I HAVE TO SQUASH A PESKY BUG!**"

So dedicated to the moment and under the constant booming of Gutsman's voice, no one heard the hum of an engine as Bass crashed into him, leaving a dark skid mark on his back.

"Bass!?" Ciel and Jaune exclaimed before a wave of relief washed over them.

Skidding to a halt, Bass leapt off Treble, the canine quickly changing back to normal. Bass smirked as he looked to his old acquaintances and said, "Fancy meeting you here." It was then that he looked to the lumbering giant and stood silent for a moment before he said, "No way, _GUTSMAN!?_"

Shocked, Ciel looked to Bass, puzzled, before looking to Gutsman Kai, who loomed over Bass and growled his name, "**BASS…**" The giant began to tremble with rageas his eyes lit up. "**THIS IS GREAT! PRIMARY TARGET LOCATED! I GET TO SCRAP YOU AND TAKE THE SCIENTIST BACK TO DOCTOR WEIL!**" 

Bass blinked in disbelief before saying, "This is pathetic. Come on, isn't there a single original idea in Weil's skull?"

"**STAND STILL, MAGGOT!**"

Bass quickly leapt out of the way as Gutsman Kai's massive arms swung at him, the power and momentum behind them carving deep into the thick sand, clearing his path as he roared for his opponent. As Gutsman's fist shot for Bass, the black armored Robot Master expertly dodged by mere inches before grabbing Gutsman's arm an swinging up on it and delivering a powerful kick to the behemoth's head that knocked him back, but he quickly steadied himself and grabbed Bass's leg and swung him into the ground.

Quickly, Bass engaged his thrusters, pushing himself out of the way as Gutsman's massive fist came crashing down on him. He flipped to his feet and fired his buster, only to have the shots dissipate on Gutsman's armor. "**YOU THINK YOU CAN HURT ME WITH THAT PEASHOOTER!?**" Gutsman Kai roared as he thrust his way through the shots and slammed his fist square in Bass's chest with enough force to push the Robot Master through the toppled Gallant Guard and clear out the other side.

"Ngh," Bass grunted as he forced himself to his feet. As he felt the Earth tremble under Gutsman Kai's footsteps, he thought over the horrible whine of metal being torn apart. _"Gutsman was never this strong…let alone this capable of putting up a fight. Did Weil really build him this well, or is there something else powering him?"_

His thoughts were cut short as Gutsman ripped through Gallant Guard and stormed for Bass, shouting, "**STAND STILL WHILE I CRUSH YOU!**"

"I don't have time for this," Bass admitted, finally giving in and saying, "Come on, Treble!" Sitting on the sidelines, the wolf howled in agreement as it shot to the air as purple light that merged with its master. Spiked helmet, wings, and a simple black and purple color scheme brought forth the image of Gospel with a slight addition in the form of Treble's head on Bass's left arm.

"That's not all, Gutsman!" Bass yelled as he shouted, "Fefnir Accel!" Encased in flames, the Robot Master's armor bled into white with a flame pattern at the base of his gauntlets and greaves. Joining his spiked helmet were golden fins arcing both upwards as well as down, like a set of fangs that grew over a red visor that covered his eyes. Finally, a knuckle buster appeared, sideways, inside Treble's jaw.

As Bass dashed for Gutsman, tackling and knocking the behemoth over, Ciel looked on in amazement. "He…combined his Fighter Mode with his Gospel Boost…Bass, what were you doing all this time?" Her monologue was cut short as the sound of Treble's maw tearing into Gutsman's chest cut through. Bass's wings then split open, drawing in the energy around him in a pale green glow as he shouted, "GO BACK TO OBLIVION!"

Bass let loose a blast of flaming plasma that rushed in every direction inside Gutsman. Flames shot from his mouth as his eyes broiled over and finally, a stream of plasma ripped from his back as he fell over, lifeless. Despite glad that Bass was victorious, Ciel was still amazed at his new abilities. The finishing blow was reminiscent of his Final Gospel, but didn't seem to have the same side effect of draining his energy.

"Not bad," Bass admitted as he split with Treble. Leaning over Gutsman, Bass crossed his arms before he said, "Using Robot Masters to do your dirty work, how distasteful." "You know him?" Ciel inquired as she came and inspected Bass's handiwork. "Sort of," he said before adding, "I didn't really spend time with any of Wily's Robot Masters, but they don't deserve to be turned into Weil's playthings. Say, what the heck are you doing way out here, anyways?"

Ciel sighed as she said, "We were heading to Area Zero to give some assistance when he attacked us out of nowhere…literally." "Heh," Bass started, "Looks like Weil's getting all sorts of goodies out of Wily Castle, even teleportation. Anyways, I was on my way to Area Zero as well. Had to save a convoy and I left Roll with them." Ciel's eyes shot open as she shouted, "Bass, you need to hurry up! Area Zero's under attack! It's Weil's biggest military movement so far!" "What!?" Bass exclaimed before turning his head and saying, "There's no time to lose!"

Treble barked and transformed into the cycle, Bass wasting no time to hop on him before he looked to Ciel and asked, "Are you coming?" "I need to stay with my crew," Ciel responded, but Jaune spoke up and said, "I can take care of that while we wait on an extraction crew. Go, you're needed elsewhere." Ciel smiled to her assistant and took her hand, saying, "Thank you, stay strong for me," before climbing onto Treble. "Hold on," Bass told her before he sped off into the distance.

As Jaune watched them in the distance, she only mouthed, "Ciel…"

----------

Area Zero, a fledgling community built around a fallen space colony, it was haven for humans that wished to escape Neo Arcadia, the old Resistance, and the reploids they saw fueling the conflicts that endangered their lives and oppressed their rights. It's very existence, a nation based on freedoms, served as an insult to the oppressive Weil, who had ordered countless attacks on its supply convoys to weaken its people. Now, frustrated with the lack of results, he'd ordered a complete assault. Humans, who's once recently erected walls around their community, had watched as Sniper Joes of the past tore it down. Fresh buildings were already toppled and raging fires danced wild as far as the eye could see, but the humans weren't ready to surrender just yet, and that irked Weil's general.

Standing tall, in a gray jumpsuit with olive drab boots and fingerless gloves and clad in a bright, red vest, the blonde, wild-haired commander lowered his binoculars and revealed his harsh, green eyes. "Fritz, tell me something," he said to his subordinate.

The smaller, thinner companion had short, trimmed, black hair and brown eyes. He wore the same attire as his commander, minus the gloves and his vest was black with gold accents. He looked to his commander and said, "What is it, Cain?"

"Tell me why it is that we, a superior military force of reploids, were beaten back by an unruly lot of worthless humans?"

Fritz gulped in anxiety as he replied, "They're led by the Fenrir Squadron. It's uh, no surprise that we're experiencing…difficulties." Cain's eye perked as he asked, "_THE _Fenrir squadron? From the Valhalla Incident?"

They'd all heard of it. Valhalla was one of Neo Arcadia's sister sites, run by the supercomputer, Odin. Due to unknown factors, Odin malfunctioned and ordered its Pantheons to exterminate all human life within the city, something it believed would preserve its society. Any reploids assisting humans were considered corrupted and were also exterminated, so most left humans to their fates. Before Neo Arcadia could send resistance, a special guerrilla squadron had eliminated the majority of the Pantheons and had even disabled Odin. What was so spectacular was that the group consisted of four well-trained humans. Keeping in line with Norse mythology, the group was given the title of the Fenrir Squadron, after the giant wolf that was destined to devour the god, Odin.

"Yeah," Fritz replied, "the Fenrir Squadron, the Knights of Jotunheim, or whatever you want to call them, they're trouble. Rather than dealing with them like a bunch of scraggly humans, we're actually going to have to be serious about this." Cain smirked as he replied, "Then let's show them serious. Ready the artillery for another strike. This time, load the depleted uranium shells."

As Fritz nodded and left to mobilize an artillery strike, Cain nodded to himself. Depleted uranium was a powerful weapon, whose residual radiation would wreak havoc on the humans and their inferior organs.

----------

"They're mobilizing again."

A man, tall, lean, with tanned skin sighed as he dropped his binoculars. He ran his fingers through his thin, black hair and blinked hazel eyes as he tugged against his brown shirt, freeing it from the sweat on his chest as he walked from his high position atop a building and slid down the ladder, his black boots absorbing the shock of the drop as he dusted his green camo pants.

He observed the soldiers around him, if he could call them that. Most of them were civilians that had never held a firearm in their life and that was the problem. It had been him and his men that had to hold up the rest of their forces, and it was beginning to take its toll.

He turned to a companion, slightly smaller, wearing the same clothes, but bulkier, with light brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail. "Statix," the first man said, "their pulling in the artillery for another heavy strike. What's your thoughts on this?" Statix, the bulky one, shook his head as he said, "Well Tranz, this place isn't going to survive another strike, _THAT_, I can guarantee." Tranz sighed again as he said, "This is why I told Chainer to take OUT the artillery. Where the heck is he, anyways?"

"I got 'im," a muffled voice said through Tranz's pocket. Tranz reached inside and pulled out an earpiece and placed it back in its proper spot as he said, "Say again? You see him?" "Kinda," the voice replied, "He IS using the short-wave ECS, but he seems to forget that it might make HIM invisible, it doesn't work on his footprints in the sand."

Tranz groaned. The short-wave electronic countermeasure system bent the electromagnetic wavelength, namely the portion that contained visible light, rendering the user invisible to the naked eye and radar alike. Still, its flaws were obvious, as it didn't hide sound, and like Statix had mentioned, it didn't hide footprints.

"Hey Christof," Tranz said into the receiver, "How many more does he have to go?"

Far off, in a still standing building, a single man stood. Wearing the same camo pants as the others, he had long since removed his shirt under the heat and stress of the situation, showing off his lanky physique. He wiped a cream-colored hand across his face as sweat beaded from the top of his blonde, mohawk clad head, before he rubbed his piercing blue eyes. He hefted a long, custom-built .05 Gungnir sniper rifle and peered through its powerful scope before replying, "Chainer's almost done. More importantly, you've got a soldier heading for the perimeter. It's a grunt, probably a messenger." "Got it, thanks Christof, I'll handle this."

Back on the ground, Tranz walked to the crumbling wall of Area Zero and eyed the approaching Sniper Joe. A weary soldier handed him a rifle, but he waved it down. "No need to shoot the messenger," he said before adding, "Yet…" He took in a breath before leaving the wall of Area Zero and approached the single Sniper Joe. Indignantly, he looked to it and hastily asked, "What?"

It spoke in a monotone voice, filled with static, "By order of Commander Cain of Weil's Grand Army, you are ordered to surrender your forces and stand down. Refusal to acquiesce will result in the deaths of every member behind your walls. You may have ten minutes to consult ranking members and come to your decision."

"A full ten minutes?" Tranz said, half-laughing. "You guys are so _GENEROUS_ today. What, is it a Weil holiday or something?" The emotionless Sniper Joe only replied, "Your ten minutes begin now." "All business, eh?" Tranz inquired, "No chance for me to stall for time?"

"Chainer here," cut in a voice through his earpiece, " Mission accomplished."

Tranz nodded as he turned back and walked to the city. As the distance grew between him and the retreating Sniper Joe, Tranz spoke in his receiver, "Hey Christof, I don't think we need to think about it, give them our reply." There was no reply, other than a single gunshot, followed by the sound of Statix whistling through the comm. link.

Tranz entered the city walls as Statix approached him and said, "You missed one hell of a shot. Straight through our little messenger's mono-eye." "Heh," Tranz said, "There'll be other shots, I'll catch them."

"Smooth man, smooth," said a voice, seemingly from nowhere. "Chainer, you're wasting battery power, turn that thing off," Tranz ordered. "Fine, fine, you're no fun," Chainer said as he removed his bullet-shaped, visor-clad helmet and came into view. He was wearing a suit covered in wires with a purple vest over a black jumpsuit. His free-flowing black hair offset his blue eyes as he sat down and said, "Well, what now?"

"FOOLISH HUMANS! WE GAVE YOU A CHANCE TO SURRENDER!"

"That," Tranz said.

Cain's voice boomed over every direction as he said, "This is all on your heads!" Soon, the sound of large artillery cannons whirring into place filled the air as Tranz calmly opened his hand and said, "Transmitter, please." Chainer complied, giving Tranz a thin box with a red cover over a single silver switch. Tranz flipped the cover and reveled in the moment before he flipped the switch.

A satisfied smile filled his face as explosions rocked the ground outside and artillery lit up. The roar of the blasts was soon blanketed by the roar of cheering soldiers at the morale boost. Still, he waved down his men, quieting them as he tapped his earpiece and linked with speakers placed over the city, sufficient enough for him to call out to Weil's forces outside. "Listen up. I'm sure we're all tired of this. Why don't you call it a day and go home? It's been fun, I'm sure, but you aren't going to beat us. Now if you turn back, we won't hold a grudge, even with all the times you've attacked our convoys. However, anymore acts of aggression and we're at war. Just to show how serious we are, I am ordering a warning shot."

Almost immediately after he said it, a single shot rang through the air followed by an explosion as something massive crashed. Switching to private line again, Tranz said, "Christof, you shot the fuel tank of one of their mobile platforms, didn't you?" Defensively, Christof replied, "You said a warning shot! I think that got the point across." "I can't believe you," Tranz replied. "They can't believe me either," Christof said, "They're pouring in."

Tranz looked at the sight, hordes of Sniper Joes, bearing multiple configurations, all storming Area Zero. For a split moment, he let his thoughts wander to whatever happened to Neige. There had been no word from her, or her reploid companion and he had to assume the worst. He sighed before saying, "Of course they are…"

----------

Nearing their destination, Kraft, Neige, and Roll could see Area Zero flaming in the distance, gunshots and explosions filling the air. "Damn," Kraft muttered to himself, "They're attacking the city."

Behind the wheel, Neige looked uneasy as she said, "Weil's never invested this much in attacking us before, what's going on?" "Maybe Weil's just getting rid of the weakest side before going after Neo Arcadia and Ciel City," Kraft offered, not realizing what he said. "We're not _THAT _pathetic, are we?" Neige inquired.

As Kraft tried to take back what he'd said, Roll looked out her side window and sighed. "I'd have thought Bass would have caught up to us by now." Solemnly, she placed her hand to the window, but lurched in her seat when the van accelerated. "What's going on?" Roll asked. "Hold on," Neige said as Kraft moved to the back. "We're going in," she announced as Kraft hefted his rifle and slung it around his back. Holstering a pair of sidearms, gathering some grenades, and finally grabbing a smaller assault rifle, he opened the back doors and waited.

He held the top of the van as it bounded over a dune and he soon caught the whiff of smoldering metal and whistled to himself as he caught sight of destroyed artillery platforms. "Fenrir squadron doesn't play around," he said to himself as he spied a familiar face. From atop his mobile platform, Cain smirked to the figure in the van as the vehicle screeched to a halt in the crumbling walls of Area zero, where Kraft leapt from the vehicle and let bullets fly into Sniper Joes.

The exploding grunts caught the attention of a particular sniper in the distance. "Hey Tranz," Christof's voice cut into the soldier's concentration. Tranz ducked under fire and said, "I hope you've got good news!" "Yeah," Christof replied, "Neige's van just pulled in. Looks like Kraft is okay too, he just started fighting the enemy and Neige and some unidentified girl are heading for cover."

"Great," Tranz muttered, "more people to worry about. Anything else to report?" "Yeah, the commanders are making their moves. One of them seems to be going for Kraft, the other one's heading your way. Hold on, taking the shot." The calm sniper took careful aim, lining the scope up with the head of his black-haired companion and smirked as he pulled the trigger. A speeding bullet shot out of the barrel and ricocheted an inch from Fritz's head and the bullet was lost in the distance.

"No good," Christof said. "You missed!?" Tranz exclaimed. "Tch, please, when have I ever missed? My bullet hit some kind of shielding." Christof defended. "Whatever, figure a way around it," Tranz ordered as he rose from his point of cover and brought his weapon to bear. Soon, he unloaded his clip onto Fritz, noting the deflection of the bullets as the reploid laughed and closed the distance, eager to get the human in his bare hands.

"I've got it," Christof announced, "He's using a variant of our ECS. The way it's MEANT to be used would probably fry half his systems, but he's got it going so it works against kinetic energy. Give me a moment while I try something." Tranz could hear Fritz slowing to a walk and he muttered, "Like I have a moment…"

As Fritz reached Tranz, he looked over the rubble and said, "Ready to die, huh?" As he looked down, there was no one there. "Where did he…" his voice trailed off as he heard a pin drop. The faint sound had no place on the battlefield, unless…

"Oh no," Fritz mouthed as he eyed the pair of grenades that had replaced his human adversary.

Waiting until after the explosion, Tranz poked his head out and tried to make sense of the situation through all the dust from a nearby building. Soon, before he could react, a slightly frazzled Fritz rushed him, pinning Tranz to the wall with a strong arm. "The leader of the Fenrir Squadron," Fritz hissed as he pressed harder against Tranz, who could feel his ribs cracking.

Fritz amused himself as he allowed Tranz to kick and claw at him, but the fun was over as Tranz freed his combat knife and stabbed Fritz in the arm. As Fritz grabbed his arm in pain, dropping Tranz, the coughing soldier managed to say, "That's it, isn't it? That fancy shield of yours works on high speed weapons, so it can't do squat against something as slow as a knife. Heh," he smirked defiantly, "technology, what a gyp."

Furious, Fritz slammed his fist into the human and took pleasure as he coughed a bit of blood. He followed with, "Organs, what a gyp." As Tranz scowled, struggling to get up, Fritz kicked him. "That's the problem with you humans. You're weak and pathetic. You'd be extinct by now if not for us reploids, but thanks to Weil, we're correcting that problem." Fritz's eyes grew wild as he raised his fist to the sky and asked, "Any last words?"

A single bullet screamed from the distance as it sliced into Fritz's skull and straight out, continuing with enough momentum to go through the nearby building. As Tranz collapsed and moved away from his dead adversary, he managed to say, "Yeah, your warranty expired." " 'Your warranty expired'? Totally lame." Tranz laughed at Christof's comment before coughing and saying, "Okay…can't laugh, hurts too much. Cutting it kind of close, eh? What'd you do, anyways?" Silence reigned before Christof casually said, "Gutted my ECS…turned my sniper rifle into a railgun. My magnetic force passed right through his. Statix is on his way to get you, so try not to die…"

----------

The signal beeping in his head told him all he needed to know: Fritz was dead. Cain sighed from his vantage point, overlooking Kraft, slaughtering Sniper Joes. As he prepared to engage him, a tactical queue opened in his mind and pointed him to a more valuable target. As he looked to two women fleeing the conflict, he was directed away from the red-haired one and locked on to the blonde. As he scrolled over data, he nodded to himself as he said, "Weil would dismantle me if I let the Dark Elf's host body get away."

Mind set, Cain grounded himself and took the quickest path to his target, a path that lead him right past Kraft. As he passed the reploid in question, time seemed to stand still: Cain, on a mission that forced him to wait before he dealt with Kraft, running past him in a quick sprint, while Kraft's shocked expression seemed out of place with the scene he was in, ripping a Sniper Joe in half while two others clung onto his neck. Regardless, time moved again as Kraft shouted, "Cain! Wait!" His call went unheeded and the reploid ran off. "Damn it," he muttered as he threw his combatants off of him and he ran after Cain.

Cain had quickly put a distance between himself and Kraft as he closed in on his prey, the target now hiding in a building deep into Area Zero, but it didn't matter how far she went, this battlefield would be razed to the ground. As he arrived to the building, he noticed a single guard, more than likely a civilian-turned-soldier, and without hesitation, rushed the man, snapping his neck, but not before the soldier managed to make a scream loud enough to alert those in the building.

"Doesn't matter, fear adds to the atmosphere," he told himself as he kicked the door down and entered. It was dark, the attack long since removing the less important structures of power, with only the sounds of guns and explosions and the rocking of those blasts Cain's companions in the dark.

As he slowly explored, he learned he was on the lower floor; the building had no basement levels, and he began to ascend, scanning floors as he went, hungry for his prey and the glory he'd achieve when he presented her to the Doctor. Finally, he reached the top floor, empty, barren except for a radio and some computers, lacking even in walls to divide the area, his quarry was huddled into a corner, like a frightened animal.

"I believe it's Roll, is it not? My name is Cain." He coldly said, anxiety dripping from his voice as he approached. "What do you want!?" She indignantly shouted, causing him to smirk as her fight-or-flight responses kicked in. "You have an appointment with Dr. Weil, something to do with…unfinished business, I believe. It's time you returned to the good doctor, Dark Elf."

Roll was taken back by the comment, first by Weil's interest in her, then by what Cain had called her. "What did you call me?" "Oh please, it's common knowledge in Weil's army of what he did to you. So come back, and fulfill your purpose. If not," his posture became more aggressive as he leered at her, "I'll take you back by force."

As he advanced, a brave Neige stepped up and in the way. Arms spread, she announced, "You aren't taking anyone to Weil." "Out of the way, human," he ordered as he swatted her aside, eliciting a yelp from her and a scream from Roll as she shouted, "Leave her alone!" Cain laughed as he said, "Mercy for a human, how amusing. But, because you don't want to cooperate, she's going to have to suffer." He loomed over Neige and reached down to her, but stopped, not by his own choice, but through Roll's voice, deeper, more mature, accompanied by dark, piercing, purple eyes and a fierce glow coming from the black strip in her hair.

"The Dark Elf…" was all Cain could say before a purple field erupted from the Robot Master. Quickly, it enveloped the electronic devices in the room and as they fizzled and burst, Cain was filled with dread as smoke rose from his body and he was launched back, through the wall and all the way to the ground.

"Ugh," he forced out as he sprawled in pain and got to his lazily got to his feet. "How…how did she…what did she…" Electricity crackled over his body as he gripped his body in pain. "Cain," a strong voice said behind him. As Cain turned, he saw a battle ready Kraft standing behind him. "Kraft," he managed to say, "You're…looking well."

Guard still up, Kraft looked to his enemy and said, "And you're looking worse for wear." "You can blame the Dark Elf for that, she's quite dangerous. Especially considering her configuration. If you didn't know better, you'd say she was just a human girl." Confused, Kraft asked, "What are you talking about?" "Don't worry about it," Cain replied before adding, "Just take care of her. Don't let anything beat you until I can have a go at you. Once I'm repaired, we'll settle things once and for all, eh, brother?" "There's nothing to settle," Kraft replied, annoyed, as Cain replied, "Oh there is, and my Mass Driver will ensure my victory. Weil reactivated it, just so I could serve him better. So don't die, not even to this." As he finished speaking, Cain retrieved a small pellet from his pocket and dropped it before vanishing under the light of a trans-server.

No time was left for thoughts as the pellet expanded into a beach ball and floated upwards. It opened, revealing an eye before it began to secrete a thick, green liquid. Soon, the liquid took shape in the form of a body. "What the hell are you," Kraft asked before it attacked, waving its arm and sending a wave of the green viscous fluid from its body and straight at Kraft, who rolled out of the way and observed. The wave hit debris, piled high, and neatly cut through it.

Satisfied that his enemy was dangerous, Kraft whipped his slung assault rifle to his front and brought its deadly ammo to bear on the globular being. His jaw hung open as the creature seemingly absorbed every bullet and redirected them to its fingers and forced them out with amazing speed.

Taking cover, Kraft waited until the bullets ceased and laid a careful eye on the giant glob. Its legs were wobbling in place, a confusing move on its part, at least until a green spike shot up from Kraft's position, almost skewering him. "What part of you isn't a weapon?" Kraft asked as he pulled a grenade and removed the pin, tossing it at the behemoth and gaining no luck as it exploded, only vibrating the jelly-like body.

"Of course," Kraft said to himself as he grabbed a second grenade. He gathered his courage as he removed the pin and made a mad dash for the blob. Quickly, with all his strength, he shoved the grenade inside the gooey body, hoping to strike the eye. Unfortunately, he didn't count on the control the gel-like being had. It almost immediately put crushing force on Kraft's arm, crumpling it as it smothered the explosive.

Kraft cried out in pain as the monster wrapped a large hand around his body and put tremendous force on his body. Soon, as he felt life slipping away from him, searing plasma struck the creature's side, knocking it back a step, before more shots fell upon it, forcing it to let go of Kraft, who rolled away, inspecting his destroyed arm. "A Green Devil," a familiar voice said that made Kraft look down the destroyed street. They had met only once before, him and this black armored robot, riding a wolf-themed cycle, only this time, he seemed to have acquired another blonde companion, the scientist, Ciel.

"Glad to see you, Bass," Kraft said, but Bass ignored him as he charged his buster, the hum filling the air as the heat made Ciel uncomfortable. Bass leapt off Treble and slammed his buster into the Green Devil, simultaneously releasing his charged shot, the blast enough to crush the eye in the center under the force of exploding plasma, and soon, the entire body of the Green Devil fell apart. Pleased of his victory, Bass looked to Kraft, "Where's Roll?" the question seeming like a demand.

"BASS!" The shout from Roll calmed Bass considerably as she ran to him from her building. After blowing Cain clear out of the building, Roll and Neige had observed Kraft's less than spectacular fight with the Green Devil and had descended the floors, eager to lend what assistance they could, only to realize they were powerless, so Bass's appearance filled Roll with relief. The two embraced, a hug initiated by Roll as she practically leapt onto her favorite Robot Master, who easily supported her.

"You're hurt," Neige said to Kraft, worried as she looked over his damage. He smiled, shrugging as he said, "It'll just take a little work and I'll be good as new." They locked eyes, shimmering under each other's gaze, but a slight noise from Ciel caught their attention. "If you have some tools, we could work on getting him back on his feet, though we'll need a true technician to fix him. I have one in mind, if I can use a radio." "Sure," Neige said as she tried to help Kraft stand up, "we can show you the way."

----------

"This is Ballade," a single figure said from the outskirts of Area Zero, Weil's attack seems to have subsided. Some human casualties, but a lot less than Enker predicted. I have to admit, for a bunch of humans, the Fenrir Squadron's something else. I've also confirmed that Weil's using all our old tech, Sniper Joes, Green Devils, I even saw a modified version of Gutsman. This could turn out pretty bad."

Overlooking Ciel City and minor damage, a figure said, "This is Quint. Protoman's got better forces for this kind of thing, he cleared his sector in no time. Hey, is it true Enker went back to the castle?"

Finally, watching from the distance of Neo Arcadia, a lone figure watched an entire battalion of Weil's army stand silent and motionless. In front of them, lay the city. In their path, lay X. He sighed and took a step forward and the entire contingent cringed in place and took two steps back. "Punk here, yeah, Enker checked it out. Said he'd gotten readings identical to Bass, but of a way higher intensity. He left to investigate. Still, no fight on my end. Weil's goons are way too scared."

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In Wily or rather now, Weil Castle, the doctor, in the body of his final bio reploid, Anthuz, stood wild-eyed at the tall, black-armored figure that had crashed into his castle. "Who dares intrude on Weil!?" the man demanded to know. Slowly, the robot looked to him, casting harsh eyes as he said, "My name is Shinn."

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Ending Notes: Well it's taken forever, but here is chapter two. Plenty of things you didn't see coming...though you should come to expect my love of Norse Mythology in the Fenrir Squadron and the Gungnir sniper rifle.

Why all the OC's you ask? Long story short, I lost a bet. Each original character has an SRW counterpart though, so it's not all bad.

Thanks for reading, until next time!


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